Skye McDonald was born and raised in Scotland in a small village called Scone, the ancient crowning place of the kings and queens of Scotland, and is now based in the Highland capital of Inverness. She has worked as a Trip Leader in 27 countries since the millennium and lived in France. As a walking guide she has explored many areas, including the Pindos in northern Greece, the wadis of Jordan, the volcanoes of Cape Verde, the sentiers of the Dordogne and Pyrenees, the Sahara in Mauritania and Mali, the mountains of Cyprus and Lebanon, and most recently the levadas of Madeira and the slate villages and cultural sites of Portugal. “Bringing understanding between peoples of very different cultures and backgrounds is one of the joys of being a Trip Leader, and of course, the chance to make friends around the world.” Closer to home, she delights in sharing the glories of her native Scotland, and says that a good day scaling some of the beautiful Scottish mountains is hard to beat. Skye also loves revealing the glories and stories of the Principality of Wales and walking the famous Coast to Coast trail across northern England. “I adore all the trips I lead for WT. When asked which is my favourite, my response is, all of them!” Skye speaks German, French, and unusually, a smattering of Swahili from earlier years as a volunteer agricultural officer in Tanzania.
This was a fantastic experience and Skye will be a very hard act to follow! Her enthusiasm, encyclopedic knowledge, attention to detail, and welcoming personality made this trip fantastic.
Skye is a superlative guide with keen knowledge and intellect, enthusiasm and sensitivity. She creates trips that have a fantastic balance of the natural world with culture, art, and local people! We sign up for trips precisely BECAUSE Skye is guiding them.
Skye is an absolute delight to hike with. She is always going out of her way to make the trip the best she can for all participants.
Skye is one of the best guides I have ever traveled with. She was no nonsense—which was good for herding a group of curious people; she was extremely knowledgeable about the history, geography and culture of Scotland; she shared music and poetry with us; she was creative; she was patient.
It is virtually impossible to improve on the professionalism of Skye. She has the organization of the day to day itinerary ticking like a well-oiled machine when things are going smoothly, and adapted to excellent effect when they were not. Weather set our ferry back by a day, and I can only congratulate Skye on the way she dealt with it.
We have traveled with Skye on three trips now, and she has done a wonderful job each time: great hiking, wonderful cultural experiences, lovely hotels and restaurants. She is very attentive to each person's needs while keeping the best interests of the overall group in mind. We can't wait to travel with her again!
Skye exceeded excellent. She is so much fun to be around. Her knowledge and history is impressive. She is a professional in all regards.
Skye's knowledge of all things Scotland was impressive and extremely helpful. The personal touches she added made a HUGE difference in making it a special trip.
Skye's skill in identifying places and people ensured a wonderful balance of hiking, cultural experiences, and time in the homes of Faroese people. We had access to very unique places and met people who added their personal perspectives to life in the Faroes.
Skye is a true Scot, a McDonald to boot, proud to share the history, culture and beauty of her country. She handles herself very well on the trail and is comfortable to adapting the itinerary and route to offer the best possible trekking experience.
Skye is a jewel of a guide. She pays attention to every little detail and is always one step ahead without letting you be aware of it!!
Skye is the consummate trip leader: competent, prepared, knowledgeable, organized, experienced, unflappable and....fun!
Skye makes each and every member of the group feel at ease and as a part of an extended family. She has a great sense of humor, which make for a fun time. She is also very organized and has a great attention to detail.
WT leaders never disappoint, but Skye was really, really outstanding.
Skye is super! She knows just about everything, she is organized and efficient, and she is very good at assessing people's abilities.
Skye was a fantastic guide who really knows Scotland. I thoroughly enjoyed the hikes she took us on, and appreciated when she shared her knowledge of Scotland's natural and social history.
Extremely knowledgeable about the history, culture, flora, fauna, and people of her homeland. Introduced us to Scottish dancing, and had a bagpiper come play for us and a local storyteller speak to us. Very creative trip leader!
Skye is the best trip leader I've experienced. She looks to go off the most traveled path and found wonderful local Faroese people we could meet and join in their art and life.
Skye is a superlative guide and human being. She brings high intelligence, curiosity, and research to her trips, and her people skills are fantastic.
Best trip leader I have ever been privileged to travel with (35 trips with WT and around 15 with other companies). I would be comfortable being with her in about any circumstance, in any country I can think of.
This was the third wonderful WT trip I have taken with Skye, and I would happily take many more.
Skye was by far the most knowledgeable guide I've ever had. Her knowledge of the history, culture, flora, and fauna was exceptional.
Skye is talented, considerate, resourceful, a great hiker with a sharp wit and wonderful sense of humor, and a true asset to Wilderness Travel.
Skye is a superb guide—professional, encyclopedic knowledge, enthusiasm, and agility! She is a wonderful positive force and her local contacts and knowledge for this particular trip were sensational and unique.
Skye is terrific in general (our second trip with her), and having her on her home ground is extraordinary. Professional, knowledgeable, flexible, five star in all regards.
Skye is equally good as a guide in a difficult stretch of high mountain terrain or an urban exploration. Organized, informed, and excellent company, she is an exceptional project manager and group leader. She made the trip work for us all, while Madeira made the trip a visual treat.
We enjoyed Skye's sense of humor and her Scottish accent, as well as her professionalism and willingness to add a few lagniappes to the trip (massage appointments!).
Skye's competence is amazing, and her wit delightful! She did a terrific job leading all aspects of this trip.
Skye was a terrific guide with wonderful personal knowledge of her native Scotland. Give her an A+!
Skye is very smart, very experienced, and creative and pleasantly assertive enough to engage everyone regardless of their background and ability. Her many years of experience are very evident in every aspect of her leadership.
Can't say enough positive things about Skye. She did a brilliant job of accommodating weather, skill level, and geography. She made all of us feel special.
Skye's competence is amazing, and her wit delightful! She did a terrific job leading all aspects of this trip.
Skye MacDonald was a superb guide. Her cultural, historical, and botanical knowledge is superb!
Skye is a fabulous people person and had the gift of bringing the group together.
Skye was off the charts tops. She has a captivating storytelling ability and a sharp wit. We always felt in good hands with her.
I cannot praise Skye enough. She combined efficiency with attention to individual needs. She’s also very knowledgeable about West Africa.
Skye was one of the best leaders of any trip I have taken, period.
Skye was a first-rate leader in every respect. She made the trip a great experience.
Skye was fantastic in every way. Her joy in relating to the local people was a pleasure to watch.
